Tuesday, October 27, 2009

With a week to go until New Yorkers cast their votes in the mayoral race, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced late yesterday she has endorsed Comptroller William Thompson, Jr.

Quinn was rumored to have been a potential candidate herself until the City Council's slush fund scandal broke last year. She has faced criticism over her decision to support a proposal to allow the mayor, City Council members and other local elected officials to seek a third term, but the question remains whether Quinn's endorsement of Thompson, who continues to trail Bloomberg in opinion polls, will actually make much of a difference next Tuesday.

The New York Times described Quinn's decision to back the comptroller as a "low-key endorsement" in its headline. One can further describe it as an example of curious political bedfellows because Thompson continues to base his campaign on his opposition to the extension of term-limits without a public referendum. Either way, one can once again question whether Quinn's decision to back Thompson actually matters.